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  1. /iemg/ recommends
  2. ===
  3. Welcome to the /iemg/ recommendations guide. In this guide we have listed a couple of good in-ear monitors/earphones, tips and cables that are recommended by /iemg/.
  4. Click the links in the sidebar or from the index to navigate.
  5.  
  6. Index
  7. ---
  8. * [Descriptions](#Descriptions)
  9. -[Sound signatures](#Sound-signatures)
  10. -[Driver Types](#Driver-types)
  11. -[Timbre](#Timbre)
  12. * [IEMs](#IEMs)
  13. -[Important things to consider when buying an IEM](#Important-things-to-consider-when-buying-an-IEM)
  14. -[Hall of Fame](#Hall-of-Fame)
  15. -[Honorable mentions](#Honorable-mentions)
  16. * [Eartips](#Eartips)
  17. -[Short explanation of eartip types](#Short-explanation-of-eartip-types)
  18. -[Recommendations](#Recommended-eartips)
  19. * [Cables](#Cables)
  20. -[Short explanation of cable and connector types](#Short-explanation-of-cable-and-connector-types)
  21. -[Recommendations](#Recommended-cables)
  22. * [Cases](#Cases)
  23. * [IEM reviewers and other sources](#IEM-reviewers-and-other-sources)
  24. -[Reviewers](#Reviewers)
  25. -[Sources for other stuff](#Sources-for-other-stuff)
  26.  
  27. Descriptions
  28. ===
  29. If there is a specific term you don't understand can use CTRL+F to search this page.
  30. Alternatively, head-fi also has [a page](https://www.head-fi.org/articles/describing-sound-a-glossary.12328/) that explains terms used to describe sound.
  31.  
  32.  
  33. Sound signatures
  34. ---
  35. **Tuning:** The terms used to describe the tuning of an iem may not always be obvious to people who are new to these terms. Some terms such as neutral, flat, bassy or bright may not require much explanation, but terms such as V-shaped or U-shaped may take a little explaining.
  36.  
  37. ****Neutral/Balanced:****
  38. A tuning that does not overly exaggerate any frequency ranges or color the sound.
  39. ****Neutral/Flat:****
  40. A tuning that follows a target curve, such as the diffuse field target curve (DF) or a variation there of, that has a perceived sound that is similar to a flat tuned speaker.
  41. ****Bassy:****
  42. A tuning where the bass is greatly exaggerated or the main focus of the sound of the iem.
  43. ****Bright:****
  44. A tuning where the treble is greatly exaggerated or the main focus of the sound of the iem.
  45. ****Neutral Bright:****
  46. A tuning with exaggerated treble, but an otherwise neutral tuning.
  47. ****V-shaped:****
  48. Boosted bass and treble, this often results in a subdued midrange (vocals).
  49. ****U-shaped:****
  50. Boosted sub-bass and upper treble.
  51. ****W-shaped:****
  52. Boosted bass and treble, with a slight uplift in the vocals. Often this means only boosting certain parts of each range like a sub-bass boost, upper mids boost and upper treble boost, as there would need to be relative dips for there to be the perception of a boosted area.
  53. ****Bass-boosted Neutral/L-shaped:****
  54. Boosted bass, with neutral mids and treble.
  55. ****Harman neutral:****
  56. A preference target curve with boosted sub-bass, lightly boosted mid bass and boosted treble.
  57.  
  58. **Additional things to note:**
  59. * A bass boost is recommended for use in loud environments such as on an airplane, on public transport or for stage use, as loud background noise reduces the perception of bass.
  60. * A treble boost or strong bass boost may be fatiguing for longer listening sessions, this also depends on your treble sensitivity.
  61.  
  62. Driver types
  63. ---
  64. **Drivers:** There are shortened terms for certain driver types, there will also be explanations for uncommon driver types.
  65.  
  66. **DD:**
  67. Dynamic driver, the classic design used by almost every cheaper pair of headphones, speakers and iems.
  68. **BA:**
  69. Balanced armature, much different from DD's, they are more effecient, usually more detailed and sound a little different. Notable brands are Knowles and Sonion, there is also Bellsing which is a decent knockoff chinese Knowles. Balanced armatures are more prone to water damage.
  70. **Planar magnetic:**
  71. A planar magnetic driver uses a more similar design to DD's but faster, more detailed and more accurate. They are also less effecient, often requiring quite a bit more power to drive them well and a lot of planar magnetic iems don't have a very likable tuning.
  72. **EST:**
  73. An electret is an electrostatic driver. It runs on the electrostatic principle, but it doesn't require external polarization. Transformer constraints limit the Sonion EST unit to high-frequency output. It doesn't necessarily have more useful upper response than the WBFK balanced armature, or a carefully crafted moving coil. This is in the sense that the useful response of the alternative drivers goes well above 20 kHz. They appear to be are hard to implement so many iems using this technology sound inferrior to similar balanced armature designs.
  74.  
  75. There are a couple other types of drivers like AMT, piezoelectric and electrostatic, but you are very unlikely to run into those in lower price ranges, especially done well.
  76.  
  77. Timbre
  78. ---
  79. **Timbre:** The tonality and texture of the sound. Most notable is the timbre of balanced armatures, which can often sound different to the classic dynamic drivers.
  80. Some describe BA timbre as plasticky, BA's when used for bass will often sound light, have a very different texture and lack impact. Though not everyone hears this BA timbre and their better detail retrieval will often make them worth having in an iem.
  81.  
  82. IEMs
  83. ===
  84. Important things to consider when buying an IEM
  85. ---
  86. - Wide nozzle iems (5.5mm and above) may be uncomfortable to those with smaller ears.
  87. - Your iems can lose sound or even get damaged by humidity or sweat. Metal shelled iems are especially prone to this, so you should always store metal shelled iems in a case with one or more silica packets. Good storage is extra important if the iem uses a balanced armature as those are more likely to get damaged by moisture and shock from dropping them.
  88. If the iem uses a filter comprised of a fabric damper right behind the metal mesh in the nozzle, then the damper can absorb moisture over time leading to loss of sound. This is sometimes the case with some of the Blons and the older Moondrop single dynamics as not only do those use these types of filters but they are also metal shelled. Luckily if this issue arrises it can be fixed by simply replacing the filters.
  89. - If your iems don't come with replacement filters, you can buy any filters that fit the nozzle diameter of your iems like [meshes without dampers](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33040223675.html), [dampers without meshes](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32453706088.html), [Kbear replacement filters](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002116577785.html), or [the new Moondrop replacement filters](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000898373412.html). Do keep in mind that replacing the filters with different ones can alter the sound signature.
  90.  
  91. Hall of Fame
  92. ---
  93. * ***QKZ VK4* $15**
  94. The QKZ VK4 is a **balanced somewhat v-shaped** iem, they use 1DD and have below average isolation but comfort is good for a lot of people. Some have problems with a single peak in the upper treble around 8kHz, but with some simple EQ this can be fixed. Some say these have quality control issues, but many have bought one or multiple sets without issues. They use 2-pin connectors for the cable.
  95.  
  96. * ***Blon BL03* $25~40**
  97. The Blon BL03 are **warm v-shaped** with somewhat relaxed but sometimes spiky treble, use 1DD and have below average isolation and comfort. They use 2-pin (TFZ not QDC if you want the shielding) connectors for the cable, 5mm nozzle. Replacing the cables and tips is highly recommended as the fit with the stock cable and tips isn't good for most people. You may also want to use an o-ring to increase the insertion depth of your tips, to do this you would place an o-ring on the nozzle of the iem before putting on the tips. A mod you can do to increase the clarity of the BL03 is replace the filter with a 4.00mm damperless mesh from the Important things to consider section.
  98.  
  99. * ***Moondrop Aria* $80**
  100. The Moondrop Aria are **Harman neutral**, use 1DD, have average isolation. A cheaper but almost identical iem to the Moondrop Starfield, which itself is a cheaper but almost identical iem to the KXXS. They use 2-pin connectors for the cable.
  101.  
  102. * ***Etymotics ER2SE* $80~120**
  103. The Etymotic ER2SE are **flat/neutral**, use 1DD and have high isolation. They use proprietary mmcx connectors for the cable, 3.5mm nozzle. Some people may find the fit on Etymotic iems uncomfortable.
  104.  
  105. * ***Etymotics ER2XR* $80~120**
  106. The Etymotic ER2XR are **Balanced or Bass-boosted Neutral** depending on your perception of neutral bass tuning, use 1DD and have high isolation. They use proprietary mmcx connectors for the cable, 3.5mm nozzle. Some people may find the fit on Etymotic iems uncomfortable.
  107.  
  108. * ***FiiO FH3* $140**
  109. The FiiO FH3 can be described as **v-shaped or w-shaped**, use 1DD + 2BA’s and have above average isolation. They use mmcx connectors for the cable.
  110.  
  111. * ***SeeAudio Yume* $170**
  112. The SeeAudio Yume are **neutral**, use 1DD + 2BA’s and have average isolation. They use 2-pin connectors for the cable.
  113.  
  114. * ***Moondrop Blessing 2* $320**
  115. The Moondrop Blessing 2 are **neutral**, use 1DD + 4BA's, have above average isolation. They use 2-pin connectors for the cable, 5.5mm nozzle.
  116.  
  117. * ***Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk* $350**
  118. The Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk are **bass boosted neutral**, use 1DD + 4BA's, have above average isolation. They use 2-pin connectors for the cable, 5.5mm nozzle.
  119.  
  120. Honorable mentions
  121. ---
  122. * ***RevoNext QT2S* $25~50**
  123. The RevoNext QT2S are **V-shaped with lots of bass**, use 2DD's + 1BA, have average isolation. They use 2-pin connectors for the cable, 5.5mm nozzle. These have known quality control issues like drivers giving out quickly.
  124.  
  125. * ***Tin Audio T2* $30~50**
  126. The Tin T2 are **neutral/balanced** sounding with little to no bass, use dual DD's, have average to above average isolation and have a natural timbre. They used to be in the HoF, but with all the new stuff there’s better options available than these for most people. Some may perceive the treble as a little too bright, foam tips should help with this. They use mmcx connectors for the cable, 5.5/6mm nozzle.
  127.  
  128. * ***CCA C12 or KZ ZSX* $35~60**
  129. The CCA C12 and KZ ZSX are **V-shaped**, use 1DD + 5BA's, have average isolation. They use QDC 2-pin connectors for the cable.
  130.  
  131. * ***Final Audio E2000* $40~60**
  132. The Final Audio E2000 are **balanced**, laid back and natural sounding with strong, clean bass with slight sub-bass roll-off. They use 1DD and have average isolation. the cable is non-removable. These come with one pair of all five sized of Final type E tips.
  133.  
  134. * ***Final Audio E3000* $45~65**
  135. The Final Audio E3000 are **a warmer bassier E2000**, use 1DD and have average isolation. The cable is non-removable. These come with one pair of all five sized of Final type E tips.
  136.  
  137. * ***Tin Audio T2 Plus* $50**
  138. The Tin T2 Plus have a **warm v-shape**, use 1DD and have average isolation. Some have problems with the treble being too sharp on these. They use mmcx connectors for the cable.
  139.  
  140. * ***Taobao ER4 Clones* $60~80**
  141. These are clones of the ER4B/S/P which are **bright neutral, neutral and neutral with relaxed treble** respectively. They all use 1BA and have very high isolation. Mainly an alternative to the ER2SE for those outside of the US who can’t get them for a decent price.
  142.  
  143. * ***Tanchjim Oxygen* $270**
  144. The Tanchjim Oxygen are about **Harman** tuned, they use a 1DD. They are very close in price and sound signature to the B2 Dusk, B2 Dusks are better at a lot of stuff but Oxygens have better imaging. They use 2 pin connectors for the cable.
  145.  
  146. * ***Tanchjim Darling* $420**
  147. The Tanchjim Darlings are **bass boosted neutral**, they use 1DD and 2BA's. They might be a step up from the MoonDrop Blessing 2. They have very good imaging, but they are also more expensive than the B2 and have a larger pinna gain boost (3kHz boost) which may lead to some people finding them too shouty. They use mmcx connectors for the cable.
  148.  
  149. Eartips
  150. ===
  151. Short explanation of eartip types
  152. ---
  153. **Supported tube diameter width:**
  154. The width of the sound tube of the iem that these tips fit onto. You can often squeeze tips meant for smaller size tubes over slightly larger ones, the other way around they will just fall off the tube when pulled out of your ear.
  155. **Bore type:** *narrow bore, medium bore, wide bore*; they all change the sound of the iem in different ways, if you have the money it is recommended to try different types of tips with your iems to find the perfect pairing.
  156. **Silicone tips:**
  157. Often lower isolation than foam or hybrid, but you can wash these to keep them clean and they will probably last for years if cared for properly.
  158. **Foam:**
  159. Foam tips have better isolation but lower longevity than silicone tips.
  160. **Hybrid tips:**
  161. Tips with silicone on the outside and foam on the inside, high isolation and better durability than plain foam.
  162. **Double/triple flange:**
  163. Silicone tips with multiple flanges for deeper insertion and higher isolation.
  164.  
  165. some good websites to look for earphone tips you can't find in local stores/local websites are Amazon [Japan](https://www.amazon.co.jp) or [US](https://www.amazon.com), [mtmtaudio](https://www.mtmtaudio.com), [Aliexpress](https://www.aliexpress.com), [Linsoul](https://www.linsoul.com). Sometimes you may also need to use [Ebay](https://www.ebay.com) to find certain hard to get tips.
  166.  
  167. Recommended eartips
  168. ---
  169. Below $5 per pair
  170. * *Foam*
  171. Anjirui 20 Pair Pack
  172. Tennmak Ultra Strong
  173. * *Silicone*
  174. Tennmak Whirlwind
  175. [Reversed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak4T0mfP_UY) KZ Starline
  176. Sony Hybrid
  177. * *Multi flange*
  178. Misodiko S270D/S210T
  179. Acoustune AET06
  180. * *Hybrid*
  181. Misodiko Mix460
  182. ---
  183. Above $5 per pair
  184. * *Foam*
  185. Comply Tx series
  186. * *Silicone*
  187. JVC Spiral Dots
  188. Azla Sedna Earfit
  189. Spinfit CP800/CP100/CP145/CP155
  190. Final E Type
  191. * *Multi flange*
  192. Klipsch Oval double flange
  193. Spinfit CP220/CP240
  194. * *Hybrid*
  195. Symbio W/Wa/Wn
  196. Sony triple comfort
  197. * *TPE*
  198. Azla Xelastc
  199.  
  200. Cables
  201. ===
  202. Short explanation of cable and connector types
  203. ---
  204. ***Connectors:***
  205. **2-pin:**
  206. A connector type using 2 pins with a 0.78mm gap between the pins. Often seen as more durable. Has shielded sub-types including QDC and TFZ/NX7, there is also the recessed 2-pin sub-type. All of these sub-types fit more securely than regular 2-pin and are recommended over regular, if your iems use their respective connector types.
  207. **MMCX:**
  208. A connector type using a coaxial connector that snaps into the female connector on the iems. Rated for up to 500 pairing cycles but may last longer, often seen as less durable mostly because Chinese iem manufacturers often cheap out on the connectors. Cables that use mmcx connectors imported from Taiwan might be higher quality, because they are said to have a tighter more secure fit.
  209.  
  210. ***Plugs:***
  211. **3.5 unbalanced:**
  212. The plug used to plug into common headphone jacks.
  213. **2.5 balanced:**
  214. The plug used to plug into 2.5 balanced out that some pmp's and dacs/apms use.
  215. **4.4 balanced:**
  216. The plug used to plug into 4.4 balanced out that some pmp's and dacs/apms use.
  217.  
  218. ***Cable materials:***
  219. **Copper:**
  220. There are many types of copper cables such as OFC (Oxygen free copper), single crystal, OCC (ohno continuous casting), and variants (UP-OCC, PC-OCC, ...), freeze treatments, etc. Not all cables are created equal, sometimes the quality control isn't great, often Chinese manufacturers lie about the specifications. Some people believe that copper cables sound more warm and bassy or that better quality cables sound better, though there is no scientific proof of this being the case.
  221. **Silver:**
  222. For all cheap Chinese manufacturers: when they say silver plated copper (SPC), it is usually tin or alloy plated. When they say pure silver wire, it is pure silver plated copper wire frequently. You often won't find actual pure silver wires in lower price ranges. Some people believe that silver in cables makes the highs more sparkly or accentuated, again there is no scientific proof of this being the case.
  223. **Painted:**
  224. Sometimes the copper/plated wires are painted themselves, sometimes it is the plastic coating that's colored. If you believe better cables improve sound, you might want to avoid painted wires as some people say it "degrades" the sound.
  225. **Foil:**
  226. In these types of cables foil strands of metal are used instead of metal wires, usually wrapped around a tough core such as kevlar. The idea is that because of the skin effect these types of cables may have a slightly lower resistance, similar to using more cores instead of a thicker wire. If you don't care about lowering the resitance of your cable you may still want a foil cable simply for the aesthetics.
  227.  
  228. Recommended cables
  229. ---
  230. **Recommended brands and places to buy:**
  231. [Yinyoo](https://wooeasy.aliexpress.com/store/group/Yinyoo-Cable/519064_513225789.html), [NiceHCK](https://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Earphone-Cable/1825606_504888717.html), [Kbear](https://kbear.aliexpress.com/store/group/KB-EAR-Cable/5017064_516671707.html), [Tripowin](https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tripowin) and [Kinboofi](https://wooeasy.aliexpress.com/store/group/Kinboofi-Cable/519064_513058438.html) make very good budget cables, have a look at their products yourself if you don’t like any of the cables listed below. Aliexpress is the best place to get cables since the price is by far the lowest for the exact same cable, if you need it quickly you can also order Yinyoo, Kinboofi and Tripowin from Amazon.
  232.  
  233. * Under $5
  234. [KBEar 4 core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000272626428.html)
  235. * Under $10
  236. [NiceHCK 8 Core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32971728152.html)
  237. * Under $20
  238. [FAAEAL 4 Core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000400771561.html)
  239. [Yinyoo 16 core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32873260968.html)
  240. * Under $30
  241. [Tripowin C8](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33038475232.html)
  242. [Kbear 16 Core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33045414046.html)
  243. * Under $50
  244. [EAC RS 6N OCC 4-core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000413868760.html)
  245. [EAC 6N OCC + SPC 4-core](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000009633191.html)
  246.  
  247. Cases
  248. ===
  249. * **Pelicase 1010 micro**
  250. A durable case. The case is able to be submerged under 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes in accordance with IP67 testing parameters and is Watertight, crushproof, and dustproof.
  251. * **Campfire Audio Leather/Canvas case**
  252. A nice looking case.
  253. * **Etymotic ER38-65-4SX Deluxe Zippered Pouch**
  254. A useful case. The case features Three interior pockets and two interior zippered pockets.
  255.  
  256. IEM reviewers and other sources
  257. ===
  258. Reviewers
  259. ---
  260. This is a list of links to good reviewers
  261.  
  262. • [Crinacle](https://crinacle.com/)
  263. • [Audiodiscourse (various reviewers)](https://www.audiodiscourse.com/)
  264. • [Banbeu](https://banbeu.com/)
  265. • [Primeaudio](https://primeaudio.org/)
  266. • [Toranku](https://www.head-fi.org/threads/torankus-thoughts-and-reviews.895832/)
  267. • [Aminus](https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aminus-hates-everything-or-aminus-rants-and-reviews-stuff.911048/)
  268. • [Shotgunshane](https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/shotgunshane%E2%80%99s-iem-custom-and-universal-recommendations-favorites-and-classics.2229/)
  269.  
  270. Sources for other stuff
  271. ---
  272. •Graph comparison tools
  273. [Crinacle](https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/graphtool/)
  274. [Oratory1990](https://headphonedatabase.com/oratory/iems)
  275. [Banbeucmas](https://banbeu.com/graph/tool/)
  276. [Audio Discourse](https://iems.audiodiscourse.com)
  277. [Super*Reviews](https://squig.link)
  278. [Bad Guy](hbb.squig.link/)
  279. [Rikudou Goku](https://rg.squig.lin/?share=RikudouGoku_Target)
  280. [Precog](https://precog.squig.link/?share=Precog_Target)
  281. [Hype the Sonics](https://www.hypethesonics.com/iemdbc/)
  282. • Rockbox
  283. https://build.rockbox.org/
  284. • SonyNWDestTool
  285. to remove the volume limiter/warnings on most of the Walkman series
  286. https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SonyNWDestTool
  287. • Head-fi cable thread (beware of the snakeoil audiophoolery)
  288. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/resistance-of-cables-pics-comments-and-links.907998/
  289. • Oratory1990's EQ presets
  290. https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets
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